Category: Sea Otters

Wildlife viewing is outstanding right now in Elkhorn Slough! Mother sea otters are extremely attentive to their pups who may remain with her for 6 to 8 months and longer if needed. Clearly this mother gives her pup ample time to accomplish the task of crawling back onto the beach but eventually comes to its rescue.

As she raises up on her hind legs, she resembles the movement of her terrestrial relatives, weasels, minks and badgers, all members of the family Mustelidaes.

Winter is truly an outstanding time to kayak among the seals and sea otters of Elkhorn Slough. Blue Water Ventures offers naturalist-led adventures through out the year. California schools join us regularly in for a highly educational field trip to Elkhorn Slough.

Elkhorn Slough it is simply the best spot for viewing wildlife. There are easily 20-30 otters in the harbor as we launch our stable sea kayaks. There is fabulous viewing very close to where we launch so great for 5th grade classes or older.

After lunch, we will pull a large seine net which students LOVE! We love their enthusiasm…doesn’t matter what we catch! They will want to keep trying!

We offer a leisurely paced, f ull day in Elkhorn Slough (9:30-2:00) for only $38 per person with a complimentary trip for one teacher.

if parents are driving, they often join us which can be helpful. Parent chaperones also pay the student rate of $38. We feel we offer something really unique as most other outfitters just spend time on the water.

Every where you turn, we are seeing mother and pup sea otters as we paddle Moss Landing Harbor and into Elkhorn Slough. It’s such an amazing time to be on the water despite the afternoon winds. We have full moon slough tours coming up as well a bioluminescence paddles. Private family and friends tours as well. Check out our schedule at http://www.bluewaterventures.org
This video was filmed from a dock….please be sure to view our furry sea otter friends from a respectable distance especially during pupping season. It’s a real treat right now! Enjoy!

A very naughty otter literally popped up by our sea kayaks today tossing around a mangled grebe. My crew were instructed to splash, then paddle away as the otter approached us clutching a dead grebe in one paw and 2 shiny pebbles in the other. Moments later we heard the distinctive sound of pebble against kayak haul as the otter dove beneath us and tapped away. Its been a few years since I’ve watched an otter toss a grebe around like a rubber ducky. While its fascinating to watch, its a reminder that sea otters have large canines capable of ripping the head off a sea bird.

We still have space on our morning and afternoon kayak tours this weekend, our Seal and Sea Otter Watch in Elkhorn Slough, January 24th and 25th. Join us for the discounted student rate of $50 details at http://www.bluewaterventures.org

Blue Water guides Kim Powell and Nikki Doyle ended our 2014 Elkhorn Slough programs with an incredible opportunity to observe a mother sea otter and her pup. Sea otters spend part of their day grooming, maintaining a clean and healthy fur.

Looks like this young pup got a lesson from mom in the art of rolling, trapping a layer of air at the base of the fur. Just like when we put on a wetsuit, the otter’s body warms up the layer of air and provides greater insulation. Join us as we explore Elkhorn Slough by Kayak…details at http://www.bluewaterventures.org

Over the last 20 years of kayaking in Elkhorn Slough, I’ve witnessed an amazing array of species and behaviors. The theme of our tours could be “weird otter behaviors”. They are a constant source of entertainment and intrigue. On Saturday, I observed a female sea otter holding a young harbor seal on her chest. Apparently, she had been “holding” or “holding captive” this young seal for several days.

Perhaps this female lost her otter pup and she chose to adopt another pup, just happened to be a pup of another species. No one will ever know but they are amazing animals to share the Slough with!

Outstanding viewing of sea otters and their pups now in Elkhorn Slough. We offer year round naturalist-led kayaking adventures at www.bluewaterventures.org. When viewing sea otters with pups be sure to give them extra space and use a telephoto lens. Its a critical time right now as pups are nursing and learning skills needed to survive on their own. Enjoy respectively!

Elkhorn Slough offers an incredible location to kayak among sea otters, harbor seals sea lions and an array of migratory birds. We encourage teachers to get your students on a naturalist-led field trip to Elkhorn Slough.

We offer a unique program that includes activities both in the water and on land to reinforce our outdoor curriculum. Most outfitters only spend a few hours on the water. We feel we offer something special.